New chapter time! I was going to update last night, but I was too tired after finishing the next chapter and fangirling over Yusei summoning Shooting Star Dragon in episode 122 of the subs ^^; Seriously, though. My fangirling was not pretty.

Moving on…

Many thanks to ptd163, Cecil Kain Cerberus, FiringShootingStar, Rapis-Razuri, Q-A the Authoress, poohbear4u, TFRiD Queen, Flame-Metal-Heart, theforgottenpeople96, AdmiralFirestorm, and melan anime for their super-awesome reviews!

As for anons, we have LDC, Seto'sWoman, ChibiX, and anon! LDC: Hehe. I know you've been waiting for the wedding for quite awhile. I was pretty sure you'd enjoy that chapter XD Seto'sWoman: Erm, well… As I said before, there won't be any more MA scenes. As for them having a private moment… ChibiX: Jack thinks of marriage as a curse. Even if he's settled with one girl on his own, he's still somewhere between a jerk and a coward when it comes to commitment. Despite this view of love, he's still acknowledged that Yusei and Akiza were going to end up together. He just didn't want to believe it actually would happen. anon: Thank you! It seemed like something Papa Fudo would do :P

And now for the new chapter. It's kinda short, but I couldn't really think of anything else to add ^^; You guys are going to hate me after this one…

Many thanks to my awesome and super-busy beta, RobotFish!

Sunset Horizon
Chapter 38 – Trembling Heart

Yusei closed his eyes as he fastened his holster belt, trying not to let himself feel guilty. After sneaking out of bed that morning to keep from waking his wife, he now prepared to leave for combat. She looked so peaceful as she slept, and he knew that if he woke her, he wouldn't be able to leave her. He couldn't bear to see her cry before he left.

She had known she was staying behind. Between her lack of combat experience and the fact that she was pregnant, she willingly chose to stay in the tunnels with the other civilians. He was thankful for that, but it didn't do much to know he had to leave her for any given amount of time. He shook his head, forcing his thoughts to move onto the plan for battle.

"Ready?"

He sighed and turned, facing his father as he leaned in the doorway. "What are you here for? You're not my guardian anymore, so why are you following me?" he asked, moving to push past him and out the door.

Katsuro followed him, saying, "I may not have the spiritual obligation to watch out for you, but I am still your father." He raised his hand to stop Yusei before he could say anything and added, "I know I neglected that role for years, but I want to try to make it up to you."

He glanced slightly over his shoulder at him before looking back down the tunnel. "Let's see you try," he muttered, turning off into the meeting room, effectively ending the private conversation. Z-one already sat there, flipping his pistol on his forefinger. Yusei didn't like to admit it, but his masterpiece smith, Stardust Dragon, had been based on Z-one's firearm, the undefeatable Shooting Star Dragon. It was a similar color, though smaller than his grandfather's. His was basically a bigger, badder version.

Though Shooting Star Dragon wasn't in the stories of the Crimson Dragon, it was still an impressive weapon with very little resistance going up against it.

He admired his grandfather like no one else. The man was his idol. He smoked, drank, and cursed more than anyone else he'd ever known, but, at the same time, he had a set of ideals that he wouldn't back down from. He firmly believed in what he was doing and didn't back down for anything. Not only that, but he was a legend on the battlefield. There wasn't a resident in the Capital that hadn't heard of him.

His father, on the other hand, had always felt like a massive disappointment. He still couldn't quite forgive him, but he had to give him credit for going out to fight in a battle when he didn't have a lot of training for it. From Yusei's understanding, his father had been practically raised by his grandmother, leaving him to be more of a politician and less like Z-one.

Shaking his head, he knew he still had some thinking to do about his father. He couldn't just forgive him, but it might be possible to try.

…

"Was that smart?"

Jack sighed as he pulled his jacket on, glancing back at Carly seated on his bed. Funny, she seemed so comfortable there even though she'd never slept in it. "Was what smart?"

She leaned back, her hands holding the edge of the mattress as she looked up at the cave ceiling. "Telling them about your royalty like that."

"What choice did I have?" he muttered as he walked over to pick up his holster, unable to stop himself from subtly studying her outfit. It was the same thing she'd worn during her time as the thief, leaving her in a short skirt—with shorts underneath this time—a midriff-showing top, and a long cloak. She had wanted something she could maneuver in easily while fighting and all of her other clothes had been stuffy dresses.

He definitely preferred her new clothes.

"Well…" she started, stretching her legs out in front of her. "I guess… But couldn't you have told them earlier? Like you told me?"

He scowled as he pulled Archfiend from his holster to check the ammunition. "I told you because I'm in love with you. That's not the case for my brothers." Honesty was a tough court to play in, but he was adapting. At least he'd told Carly.

She stared at him, wide-eyed and open-mouthed as her feet dropped back to the floor. After a long moment, she stammered, "D-did you… just…?"

He turned slowly to look at her, one eyebrow rising in curiosity. "Did I what?"

She bit her lip and looked away slowly. "Did you… say you love me?"

He paused for a moment, slowly lowering Archfiend as he turned to look at her. Flashing a smug smirk, he replied, "I suppose I did."

Shock fell over her features as her hand drifted over her mouth. "You… You mean it?"

He nodded firmly. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. Jack Atlas is many things, but he's not a liar."

A smile crossed her lips as she shifted to stand and walked behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist in a hug. "That makes me so happy!"

A grimace crossed his features as she squeezed tightly, causing him to hold her wrists as he tried to pull them back. "Carly… Not that I don't appreciate your affection, but… You're a lot stronger than you realize sometimes…"

She gasped and let go, covering her mouth in surprise. "I'm sorry!"

He gave a small laugh and turned around to face her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders to pull her close. "Don't be."

She leaned closer, burying her face in his chest before murmuring, "Jack?"

"Hm?"

"I love you, too."

…

Yusei jogged down the tunnels towards the exit point, swallowing down his nausea at the upcoming battle. He used to feel a thrill at the thought of diving into danger, but, for the first time, he was feeling sick to his stomach. It was so different to jump in when it was for the sake of survival and not for fun. It used to be a jolt of excitement when he would sneak into the governor's estate and search for information.

But, this time, it was downright nauseating.

He looked up as he spied some pale green hair and jogged over, calling out, "Luna!"

The priestess turned, offering a small smile. "Yusei!"

He skid to a stop next to her, saying, "Luna, can you do me a favor?"

She reached up, wiping her eyes, and nodded. "Sure, what do you need?"

He froze at the sight of her tears, averting his gaze before muttering, "I'm sorry… I know you're having trouble watching everyone go."

She shook her head with a fake smile plastered on her face. "It's nothing. Crow just gets on my nerves sometimes."

He reached out and set his hand on her shoulder, glancing over at the sight of the golden ring on his right hand. "Thank you, Luna. For what you did yesterday. Really, I can't thank you enough."

She smiled genuinely and replied, "It was no trouble, Yusei. Seeing the two of you so happy is enough payment for me." She looked up and down the passage, frowning before asking, "Speaking of, where is Akiza?"

He looked away and lowered his hand, shifting to rotate the ring on his finger. "That's… why I wanted to ask you that favor."

She cocked her head with a disapproving frown on her lips. "Yusei…"

"I… couldn't wake her," he mumbled. "I mean, we said as much of a goodbye as we were going to last night, so…" Sighing, he stood a little straighter and finished, "I knew that if I woke her, I wouldn't be able to leave."

She heaved a heavy sigh and muttered, "Fine, I'll let it go this time. What's this favor you wanted?"

He flashed a smile and said, "Could you give Akiza a message for me?"

"Of course. What do you want me to tell her?"

He sighed in relief and took a deep breath, letting his mouth form the words he wanted his bride to hear. As long as Luna remembered the big thing, he didn't really care if she got the rest, but he figured this also counted as something of a confession with the priestess.

Her eyebrows rose as he finished. "Wow. That's quite the list."

He managed a laugh as he ran a hand through his hair. "I know. Sorry."

Flashing a smile, she said, "I'll do my best to remember. In the meantime, you should probably get going."

He nodded and started down the tunnels, but turned on his heel before calling, "If you ever need me to kick Crow's ass, don't hesitate to ask!"

She chuckled and waved him off, shooing him off to battle. Sighing, he touched one hand to his forearm above his tattoo. Akiza was one of his guardians now, which meant both of them would be staying behind. Not that he had ever used his powers before, but it he still felt somehow safer when the people with the claw markers were around.

Because his father definitely did not give him that feeling of parental security.

He knew it had to be the markers. He felt the same way when Luna was around, too. It wasn't just a feeling of safety, either. It was a calming effect that he felt deep down, soothing his emotions so he wouldn't act out. He had come to assume it was something of a safety lock on his abilities.

Now, he found himself going out there without that calming effect. Even if he could keep from using his powers on his own, the relaxation that came with having his guardians near seemed to prevent him from making stupid, brash decisions.

Usually.

…

Luna walked through the tunnels, exhausted before the clock even struck eight. Though the people of New Domino weren't all that religious due to their lack of a church, many of the people going out to fight had asked for her guidance before the battle. She did her best, but she was still relatively new to priesthood.

Sighing, she walked into the miniature worship room she'd set up, bearing the simplest of necessities. She had what she needed to conduct a service, but it was still a far cry from a full church. Several of the townsfolk had started coming to her little services every day, though whether it was from desire to worship the Crimson Dragon or fear of tomorrow's unknowns, she didn't know. It didn't really matter, either. Whether or not the people believed was their business. All she could do was provide condolences to the frightened folk.

As she walked inside, she paused at the sight of someone seated on the floor—chairs were a luxury in the caves—beneath the medallion of the Crimson Dragon. Luna walked inside slowly so she wouldn't frighten the person. A woman, judging by the size. No doubt she was scared for the battle.

She slowly sat down next to her, reaching out to touch her hand before jumping in surprise. Misty? Why was she there? She had never seemed to need anyone's support and never showed any sign of weakness. But now, here she was, crumpled on the floor of her makeshift church in tears. Squeezing her hand, she asked, "Misty? What's wrong?"

The woman shook her head, her tears still falling as she tried to form words. "I…"

The priestess felt her heart shatter. Did Misty normally fight this sort of pain on her own? Was she constantly holding back, hiding her emotions? "Misty…"

Suddenly, she shifted to collapse on Luna, wrapping her arms around her in a fierce embrace. "L-Luna…"

This was really strange, and she could only wonder what caused it to happen. She did what she felt was right and returned the embrace, offering a consoling pat on her back. "What happened?"

Slowly, she pulled back, wiping her eyes, and murmured, "Is it… Is it all right if I make a confession? I've never been a member of the church, but I…"

"Misty…" she started, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Of course you can. The Crimson Dragon doesn't discriminate amongst his children."

She pulled back, drawing her black cloak more tightly over her shoulders. "I'm terrified…"

Curiously, she asked, "Of what?"

"I had a vision… I couldn't bring myself to mention it to anyone before. But now… I can't hold it in."

"It's all right." The priestess managed a smile, hoping to relax the other woman. "You can tell me anything. It will never leave this room."

"Yusei is going to die."

EPIC CLIFFIE.

So, who's getting ready to revolt against me and kill me in my sleep? Just remember, if you do that, you'll never know the ending! So, I'd love to hear theories! What do you guys got for me?

Oh, and, once again, I have my next-gens up on my Facebook! You don't have to have an account if you just want to paste the link, take a look, and leave. Like I said, that should be my next project after this one finally wraps up. Oh, and I finally got my first one colored! He's posted there, too! facebook. c!om/ OCValkyrie (Remove spaces and exclamation point)

Please review!

-Valk